Body bolster center plate and mounting



May 19, 1931.

M. H. MARTIN 1,806,075

BODY BOLSTER CENTER PLATE AND MOUNTING Filed July 14, 1928 Patented May 19, 1931 l W UETED MARK H. MARTIN, F BALTIMORE, IEARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO T. SYMINGTON' &

arena carr es son, INC., on BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A conronnrron or MARYLAND BODY BOLSTER onnrnn PLATE AND MOUNTING Application filed July 14, 1928. Serial 282,809.

The invention relates to railway equipment, particularly to the connection between the body and truck bolsters in a railway cartruck, and has for its principal object the provi- 5 sion of a novel center plate and mounting bolster within which is engaged a center plate depending from the body bolster, the actual pivotal connection generally consisting of a pivot element known ordinanly as a king pm. In some constructions of truck bolsters it is desirable to omit the king pin but when this is done it brings additional-shearing strains upon the center plate carried by the body bolster. Ordinarily the center plate is secured in place upon the body bolster by a plurality of rivets which necessarily take the shearing strains. The mounting of the center plate necessitates the employment of quite a number of rivets and considerable time is consumed in the operation of inserting them and subsequently effecting upsetting thereof.

In the co-pendin application of Thomas H. Symington and Percy' R. Drenning filed July 18, 1930, Serial No. 468,944 lateral motion truck, and in fact in other conceivable constructions, it is desirable to omit the king 111. p It is with the above facts in view that I' have devised the present invention which has for an important object the provision of a truck construction in which lateral motion of the body bolster is permissible and in which there is a novel center plate and mounting therefor so as to do away entirely with the usual king pin.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a center plate and center plate mounting in which the number of rivets necessary for securing the same in place may be I greatly reduced without in any way sacrificing strength, a particular and peculiar means being provided for taking the shearing strains.

Another object of the invention is to pro- 7 vide a center plate and mounting therefor which may be used as a replacement part in existing equipment without necessitatingthe' mal mg of any changes or alterat1onstherein other than the formation of'a single opening in the bottom plate of thebody bolster.

An additional object is to provide an ar rangeincnt and structure of this character whichwill be simple and inexpensive to make and install, positive in action, eflicient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more f-ullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view taken transversely of a car truck and showing, partly in section and partly in elevation, the truck and body bol- Figure 2 is a top plan view of the center plate alone, 7

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof, and

Figure 4: is a detail cross sectional vieW thergthrough taken on the line 44-'of Figure I Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the truck bolster which may or may not be constructed in the precise manner shown herein and in the above identified co-pending application. However, this truck bolsterhas its end portions 2 adapted to rest upon truck springs indicated conventionally at '3', mounted of course within the window openings in the truck side frames, not shown. In this particular instancethe truck bolster is shown as provided centrally with a depressed portion 4 upon which is mounted a casting 5 adapted to move longitudinally for permitting lat-- eral motion of the bodybolsterwhichis in- 7 Furthermore the body bolster is disclosed as equipped with depending side bearing'ele ments 7 engaging upon rockers 8' mountedwithin pockets 9 in the truck bolster at opposite sides of the center thereof. All the specific details of this arrangement are disclosed in said co-pending application and as they form no part of the present invention additional mention thereof is believed to be superfluous.

A body bolster of the type shown ordinarily comprises channel bars 10 constituting the sides and upon the top and bottom flanges of which are mounted top and bottom plates 11 and 12 respectively. The center sills of the car are indicated at 13- and between them and the sides of the body bolster there is generally provided a casting 14 having an upstanding tubular portion 15 which ordinarily receives the king pin which is not shown as it is entirely unnecessary in this construction., All of the above described parts exist in the structure disclosed in said co-pending application and no claim is made thereto.

In accordance with the present invention I provide a center plate indicated as a whole by the numeral 16, this so-called center plate including a preferably rectangular attaching plate portion 17 from which depends a cylindrical portion 18 constituting a trunnion and fitting more or less loosely within an opening 19 in the slidable casting member 5. Preferably the lower end of this cylindrical or trunnion portion is tapered as indicated at 20 to facilitate assembly at it isobvious that it can therefore be more easily guided to its final position than would ,be the case ifit were of uniform diameter throughout. Preferably the member 16 is of hollow formation, in order to reduce the weight, and may therefore be sald to coinprise the solid plate portion 17 and a shell which constitutes the trunnion or cylindrical portion. However, for insuring strength it is preferable that this member beformed interiorly with intersecting webs 21 as clearly indicated in the'Figures 1 and l. The member 16 is of course located between the cen-f ter of the body bolster 6' and is secured in place by means of a plurality of rivets 22' member 14. Ordinarily eight ofsuch rivetsare necessary but in accordance with the present invention I have found it possible to reduce the number to four arranged as 1 shown. I accomplish this result by forming the member 16 with an upstanding protuberance or .boss 24 which rises centrally from the'plateportion *17 and which is preferably cylindrical in form, this boss being received within ahole 25 in the bottom plate 12 of the body bolster. Clearly this boss or pro-' tuberanc'e takes the shearing strains so that the rivets 22 areentirely relieved. 1 As a consequence the, only function, or at leastthe 5 principal functionpof the rivets is to hold the center plate 16 against the underside of the body bolster.

In use, it is of course apparent that the- 'Thecenter plate member 16 of course is rotatable within the opening 19 and when lateral motion of the body bolster occurs the plate member 16 carries with it the casting 5 which slides within the depressed portion 4: at the center of the truck bolster. Obviously a king pin is totally unnecessary as the cylindrical portion 18 of this center plate constitutes a trunnion. Furthermore, the cylindrical or trunnion portion is of considerable diameter andis consequently well capable of withstanding all of the shocks and jars as well as the wear to which it is unavoidably subjected in service. The elimination of the king pin and the reduction of the number of. rivets will of course constitute economy in construction and will, furthermore, reduce the total weight in .addition to decreasing the labor involved in assembly. As the upstanding boss or protuberance 24 takes the shearing strains the reduction in the number of rivets is not objectionable inasmuch as the structure is really stronger than would otherwise be the case.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be clear that I have thus effected a material improvement in the construction of truck and body bolster connections. simple, inexpensive to assemble and install and should efficiently perform all the'functions for which it is intended It is believed that the construction, "operation and advanin the art without further explanation. I

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understoodthat the disclosure is merely an exemplification of the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all such changes in, the details of construction as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability ofthe device provided such changes constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: I

The entire arrangement is extremely 1. In a railway cartruck structure, a body bolster, a truck bolster, and connecting means therefor comprising a member mounted for movement longitudinally of the truck bolster and restrained against movement trans-' 'versely thereof, a casting secured within the body bolster at its center and acenter plate; member secured to the bolster and said cast-,.

ing and having a depending portion and rotatably engaged within said slidable member.

2. In a railway car truck structure, a body bolster, a truck bolster, and connecting means therefor comprising a slidable member mounted for movement longitudinally of the truck bolster and restrained against movement transversely thereof, and a center plate member carried by and depending from the body bolster, said center plate member including a flat attaching plate portion secured directly to the body bolster, and further including a cylindrical trunnion portion rotatably engaged within and projecting below said slidable member.

3. In a railway car truck structure, a body bolster, a truck bolster, and connecting means therefor comprising a member mounted for attaching plate portion secured directly to the.

body bolster, and further including a cylindrical trunnion portion tapered at its end.

4. In a railway car truck structure, a body bolster, a truck bolster, and connecting means therefor comprising a member mounted for movement longitudinally of the truck bolster and restrained against movement transversely thereof, and a center plate member carried by and depending from the body bolster and rotatably engaged within said slidable member, said center plate member including a fiat attaching plate portion secured directly to the body bolster, and further including a cylindrical trunnion portion of hollow formation provided interiorly with reinforcing webs.

5. In a railway car truck structure, a body bolster, a truck bolster, and connecting means therefor comprising a member mounted for movement longitudinally of the truck bolster and restrained against movement transversely thereof, and a center plate member carried by and depending from the body bolster and rotatably engaged within said slidable member, said center plate member including a flat attaching plate portion secured directly to the body bolster, and further including a cylindrical trunnion portion of hollow formation provioed interiorly with reinforcing webs extending transversely thereof in intersecting relation.

6. In a railway car truck structure, a body bolster, a truck bolster, and connecting means therefor comprising a member mounted for movement longitudinally of the truck bolster and restrained against movement transversely thereof, and a center plate member carried by and depending from the body bolster and rotatably engaged within said slidable member, said center plate member including an attaching plate portion with a depending trunnion and having an upstanding boss, and the bottom of the bolster having a hole receivin said boss.

' In arailway car truck including a body bolster and a truck-bolster, a pivotal connection for the bolsters comprising a member carried by the truck bolster, and a center plate member having an attaching plate portion secured to the underside of the body bolster and having a central depending trun nion rotatably engaged through said member, said center plate member being providedat 'itstop'with aflprotube'rance and the body bolster having a holereceiving said protubering stralns.

8. In a railway car truck structure includ-- ing truck and body bolsters, a pivotal connection therefor comprising a member slida'ble on the truck bolster,and a center plate member rotatably engaging the same and carried'by the body bolster, the center plate member having a plate portion riveted to the underside of the bodybolster and hav ing an upstanding projection, the body bolster being formed with a hole receiving said pro ection.

9., In combination, a truck bolster having a bearing member thereon, a body bolster, a casting secured within the body bolster at its center, the body bolster havinga bottom ancewhereby the latter will take the shear:

, plate formed with an opening, and a center plate device including an attaching portion secured .to said bottom plate and said casting and having a depending trunnion rotatably engaged with said bearing member and further having a boss rising from the attaching portion and engaged within said opening.

10. In combination, a truck bolster havinga bearing member thereon, a body bolster, a casting secured within the body bolster at its center, the body bolster having a bottom plate formed with an opening, and a center plate device including an attaching portion secured to said bottom plate and said casting and having a depending trunnion rotatably engaged with said bearing member and further having a boss rising from the attaching portion and engaged within said opening, said boss engaging against the underside of said casting.

11. In combination, a truck bolster, a body bolster provided centrally of its interior with. a casting having a tubular sleeve portion ordinarily receiving a king pin, a bottom plate on the body bolster having a central opening of greater diameter than said tllbll-a lar sleeve, a center plate device carried by the body bolster and'including an attaching plate portion secured to said bottom plate and said casting, and further having a depending trunnion rotatably engaged with the truck bolster and also having an upstand-c 0 Within saidopening and abuttingisaid casting. I r

12. Incombination, a truckbolster, a body bolster, a member mounted for movement longitudinally of the'tr-uck bolster, and a center plate member secured to and depend ing from the bodybolster having a substantially flat attaching plate portion secured directly t0 the bodybolster, further including a cylindrical trunnion engaged Within said slidable member, and further including a portion entering-Within the'body bolster to take the shearingstrainsn 13. Incombination, a truck bolster. having a bearing member thereon, a bodybolster, a casting secured Within the body bolster at its center, a bottom plate for the body bolster, a center plate device including an attaching portion and adepending trunnion rotatably engaged With said bearing-member, means on the center plate device entering Within said bottom plate to take the shearing strains, and securing elements commonto and passing through said attaching portion, the bottom plate and said casting.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

7 H. "MARTIN; 

